Northern Mindanao units alerted on ‘Basyang’ impact

All city/provincial directors/battalion commander, Regional Mobile Force Battalion (RMFB) in Northern Mindanao region have been instructed by the Police Regional Office 10 hierarchy to be ready for disaster management and rescue operations.

(Photo courtesy of CDRRMO, Cagayan de Oro City/ Manila Bulletin)

All city/municipal stations/RMFB were also instructed by PRO-10 on the following: Personnel accounting and briefing; rescue equipment check/inspection; coordination with respective LGU/disaster management units of city/province/barangay DRRMO; all units must log-in to all CDRRMO/PDRRMO/MDRRMO in case of any rescue operation; uniform-use search and rescue (SAR).

The alert mode of the PNP is in preparation for Tropical Storm Basyang, which continued to threaten some Mindanao areas, including Northern Mindanao.

PAGASA, in its 5 a.m. bulletin, said Basyang’s center was last seen 175 kilometers east of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur, with maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kph.

Basyang was expected to move west northwest at 25 kph with scattered widespread moderate to heavy rains xpected over Visayas, Caraga, Northern Mindanao, Zamboanga Peninsula and the provinces of Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental, Compostela Valley and Lanao del Sur over the next 24 hours.

Tropical cyclone warning signal no. 2 was raised over Visayas and Mindanao areas, including Camiguin, Misamis Oriental and Northern section of Bukidnon, all in Northern Mindanao.